We are between
autumn and winter here and it gets dark early in the afternoon now. Swedish
people turn on many inside lights, use a lot of candles, meet up for dinners in
each others homes and we move towards a life lived more indoors (except if you
are a skier but the snow is not yet here). I have met many foreigners who find
the darker part of the year quite difficult in Sweden and if you don’t have a
large social network that is understandable. I try to invite both old and
newfound friends for a simple dinner or a get-together and encourage other
“locals” to do the same. Ulricehamn seems to be in a growing phase both when it
comes to people moving in and businesses showing interest in settling here. If
we want them to stay we need to make them feel included and welcomed!
When we lived in the Netherlands we had a fairly well sized garden for Dutch standards. Our garden here is 3-4 times bigger, with apple, peer and plum trees. We really liked the fact that we got a nice garden with fruit trees when we moved here and it fitted the stereotyped idea of a red old wooden house situated in a characteristic Swedish little town (would have fitted the description of any location in an Astrid Lindgren childrens book). But there were some aspects we didn´t think too much about. I think we are the only ones on our street who haven´t cleaned up the garden leaves this autumn. Jochem can´t as he can´t walk and I don´t have the time. When at Malta this summer Jochem hurt his already week knee and had to have surgery when we came home. The knee is healing slowly and will be all well in 12-18 months but it keeps on being sensitive. Yesterday he went for a walk with Ingrid but came home with a swollen knee so doing garden work is not possible.
I am in a really busy period right now finishing off my project at work, getting ready for my new job as CEO for Ulricehamns Business Development, writing on my book (got a publisher which is really great) hence a terrible garden. I try not to be bothered by it, sticking to Jochems argument that anyone who spends time on getting annoyed over some leaves need to think of better ways of using their energy but it only works so, so. Next week we have a training day for all our managers about gender mainstreaming, gender budgeting and emancipation. Talking to the lecturer about the program we came to talk about norms in society. Is it socially acceptable not to do something about your garden for a few months? When is is no longer acceptable? And why is this a bigger issue for me than my husband? Is this related to my Swedishness or to gender? I don’t know and as our days get shorter I focus on creating cosy lighting on the inside (goes a lot quicker) to attract the eye away from the garden and maybe soon, the snow will hide all traces.
If you have ever been to Ulricehamn in the autumn you know it is one of the most beautiful places to visit. We are surrounded be different types of forests and the month of October gives off a variety of forest colours found almost nowhere else in the world. I go bicycling on our many bicycling tracks and I still find it surprising not to meet up with more people. On Saturday mornings I can be out on my own for an hour or two only seeing the occasional car passing by. It is quiet, colors and the sky is clear. Maybe this is why the driver who drove straight out on a main road was so surprised when I came bicycling downhill three weeks ago. Luckily I survived with some bruises rolling off the bonnet but my bike had to be fixed.
As we are in the middle of a changing season I look back on an autumn that felt shorter this year than previously. I know that many people in Ulricehamn can´t wait for the snow to arrive and actually I also long for reflecting snow (it increases the light and breaks off the massive dark sky) and to see the town turn into a winter town welcoming tourists from Sweden, Denmark and other places. We are slowly becoming a true winter town offering both cross-country skiing and downhill skiing, arranging many competitions, a high school skiing program and courses for anyone wanting to get ready for the Swedish Vasaloppet. Maybe it is about time I learn to ski cross country?
When we lived in the Netherlands we had a fairly well sized garden for Dutch standards. Our garden here is 3-4 times bigger, with apple, peer and plum trees. We really liked the fact that we got a nice garden with fruit trees when we moved here and it fitted the stereotyped idea of a red old wooden house situated in a characteristic Swedish little town (would have fitted the description of any location in an Astrid Lindgren childrens book). But there were some aspects we didn´t think too much about. I think we are the only ones on our street who haven´t cleaned up the garden leaves this autumn. Jochem can´t as he can´t walk and I don´t have the time. When at Malta this summer Jochem hurt his already week knee and had to have surgery when we came home. The knee is healing slowly and will be all well in 12-18 months but it keeps on being sensitive. Yesterday he went for a walk with Ingrid but came home with a swollen knee so doing garden work is not possible.
I am in a really busy period right now finishing off my project at work, getting ready for my new job as CEO for Ulricehamns Business Development, writing on my book (got a publisher which is really great) hence a terrible garden. I try not to be bothered by it, sticking to Jochems argument that anyone who spends time on getting annoyed over some leaves need to think of better ways of using their energy but it only works so, so. Next week we have a training day for all our managers about gender mainstreaming, gender budgeting and emancipation. Talking to the lecturer about the program we came to talk about norms in society. Is it socially acceptable not to do something about your garden for a few months? When is is no longer acceptable? And why is this a bigger issue for me than my husband? Is this related to my Swedishness or to gender? I don’t know and as our days get shorter I focus on creating cosy lighting on the inside (goes a lot quicker) to attract the eye away from the garden and maybe soon, the snow will hide all traces.
If you have ever been to Ulricehamn in the autumn you know it is one of the most beautiful places to visit. We are surrounded be different types of forests and the month of October gives off a variety of forest colours found almost nowhere else in the world. I go bicycling on our many bicycling tracks and I still find it surprising not to meet up with more people. On Saturday mornings I can be out on my own for an hour or two only seeing the occasional car passing by. It is quiet, colors and the sky is clear. Maybe this is why the driver who drove straight out on a main road was so surprised when I came bicycling downhill three weeks ago. Luckily I survived with some bruises rolling off the bonnet but my bike had to be fixed.
As we are in the middle of a changing season I look back on an autumn that felt shorter this year than previously. I know that many people in Ulricehamn can´t wait for the snow to arrive and actually I also long for reflecting snow (it increases the light and breaks off the massive dark sky) and to see the town turn into a winter town welcoming tourists from Sweden, Denmark and other places. We are slowly becoming a true winter town offering both cross-country skiing and downhill skiing, arranging many competitions, a high school skiing program and courses for anyone wanting to get ready for the Swedish Vasaloppet. Maybe it is about time I learn to ski cross country?
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